1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer for printing documents. More particularly, the present invention relates to a kiosk printer having a communication link to a remote host computer for printing documents such as receipts and tickets.
2. Description of Related Art
Parking meters, gasoline pumps, cash-dispensers and many similar machines are often provided with devices which print information on a receipt, ticket, or other such document and then feed it to a customer who keeps it as verification of the service rendered or article purchased.
Wincent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,393, discloses a device which does not feed documents to the customer until they are completely printed and cut. The printing device includes roller which feeds the document as it is being printed through a bracket wherein a cutting blade is mounted and thereafter through a series of guide plates so that it reaches the nip between upper and lower output rollers where it is gripped therebetween. At this point, a housing surrounding the device with only a narrow outlet opening therein prevents the customer from having access to the document. When the printing process is concluded, the cutting blade cuts the document and the pair of output rollers feeds the printed document through the outlet opening to the customer. Furthermore, if the outlet opening is blocked so that the printed document is unable to emerge therefrom, then the continued rotation of the lower output roller in the same direction tends draw the printed document back into the device where it is disposed of. In this way, a blocked outlet opening will not cause a jam.
It is well known that these printing devices have a number of problems associated with them. Sometimes the devices will fail because the customer tries to remove the receipt from the device before it has been completely printed. Another problem occurs when a customer fails to take the printed receipt. The next customer may simply throw away the prior unclaimed receipt in the vicinity of the device, thereby causing a litter problem. Another possibility is that the next time a receipt is printed the device may jam because of the presence of the prior receipt. In the event the printer jams, it may require costly repairs. Still another problem with unclaimed receipts is that the document itself may be valuable or contain confidential information such that it is undesirable to allow other customers to have access to it. Some, but not all, of these problems are addressed in the prior art.